


Upon Wooden Steeds

by ShayneScribbler



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Bofur is a Sweetheart, Gen, This is totally platonic, Young Fíli, Young Kíli, did I actually write a G-rated fic?, what the what?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-16
Updated: 2013-06-16
Packaged: 2017-12-15 05:05:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/845650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShayneScribbler/pseuds/ShayneScribbler
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"The door came open with a crash, bouncing off the wall as two young dwarflings stumbled through with excited smiles."</p><p>A short glimpse at a brighter moment in Ered Luin, while the boys are still very young.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Upon Wooden Steeds

If he had known that the heirs to the line of Durin would be stumbling into his shop that afternoon, he'd have cleaned up and had everything shining fit to please and awe any prince no matter how spoiled. As it was, he was up to his elbows in wood shavings and gears and springs as he worked painstakingly to create a horse that, when properly wound, would sprint across the room on wheels cleverly hidden behind galloping legs. 

The door came open with a crash, bouncing off the wall as two young dwarflings stumbled through with excited smiles and two little fistfuls of coins. Bofur didn't immediately recognize the children, smiling at their antics. 

"I want these!" the darker one proclaimed wildly, running up to a barrel full of small, carved soldiers. "And these!" - a stack of blocks. "Or -"

"I'm going to buy a sword," the blonde one boasted to the younger brunette, little chest puffing up. "Then I can train to be a famous warrior like uncle!"

The younger cheered and they both barreled over to a box of toy weapons. The blonde fished out a sword and swung it in a clumsy arc. Bofur watched as the child maneuvered himself around an invisible foe, wary of any damages an overexcited child might wreak. 

"Take that, stupid orc!" he declared loudly. 

The younger chuckled and watched avidly for all of five seconds before brown eyes landed on Bofur and his project. 

"Are you a toy maker?" the child crowed in delight, scampering over to peer at the half-finished horse on the work table. 

"Yes indeed, lad," Bofur murmured, allowing the boy a look at the in-progress horse. 

Murmuring with awe, the child hauled himself up onto the chair next to Bofur. 

"May I watch?" the boy asked, eyes fixed on the wooden figurine. 

"I don't see why not," Bofur allowed. 

The boy settled in, his brother still swinging wildly behind him. Bofur continued to attached the gears and springs, stopping every now and again to test a fit and make sure it was tight. 

When he finally finished both children were seated and watching in fascination, though the blonde still clutched tightly to the sword he had picked out. Bofur wound the toy tight and sent it careening across the floor to much yelling and laughter. 

"That was amazing!" the youngest declared, bouncing over and wrapping his tiny arms around Bofur's thighs as far as they would go. 

"It needs a rider!" The brunette declared suddenly, rushing over to the barrel of soldiers and pulling one that was crouched, feet apart and battle axe raised, to perch lopsidedly upon the steed. 

Bofur watched in amusement as the horse was once more wound tight and sent across the room, its rider flying off and rattling across the floorboards before it was even halfway. The children whooped and hollered, even the blonde's precious toy sword forgotten and discarded. 

"If ye like it so much, it's yours," Bofur said, ignoring the voice in his head whispering about how slow business had been of late, how every little coin was another day of food on the table. 

"Really?" the little brunette gasped, eyes alight in excitement. "But we can pay! Mama gave us some coins."

"Save them," Bofur assured the earnest child, large hand coming down to tug small fingers away from a worn pocket. "You never know when you might need them."

The boy stared up at him and nodded sagely, little fingers gripping tightly at Bofur's larger ones. The boys collected their new toy and made to leave the shop, calling thanks over their shoulders. 

Before the brunette fully passed the door, he paused, throwing a hesitant glance at Bofur before a look of stubborn determination of the kind only a child could muster crossed his face. The young dwarrow marched back across the shop and tugged at Bofur's tunic. 

Bofur knelt down obligingly, fully expecting the fierce hug that came. What he hadn't expected was the firm press of slightly chapped lips to his cheek. Before he could react, the boy was across the room and out the door. 

"Wait for me Fíli!" the brunette shouted, as the door banged shut behind him. Bofur stared awkwardly at the closed door only just beginning to realize who had stumbled upon his little store. 

His cheek was still damp where the brunette (Kíli, his mind supplied) had pressed the clumsy, yet purposeful kiss. Bofur wiped at it absently with a couple fingers. 

He returned to his toy making supplies in a daze and started another project, barely aware of the way his fingers shaped wood and fitted mechanisms.  

Later, he would laugh at himself and wonder at the oddity of having royalty in his shop. He would tell his brother and cousin a fanciful and overly dramatic retelling over super, the three of them laughing at the antics of children. And privately, later that night as he lay waiting for sleep to take him, he would imagine himself mounted upon a charging beast in one of the legendary battles told about dwarves of the line of Durin. And he would chuckle sleepily and remind himself that he was a simple toy maker and would never see such excitement or adventure, especially not tucked away in Ered Luin. 

**Author's Note:**

> Yet another pairing fished out of our Tolkien pairing jar. Except I think Dishenvy cheated on this one and just wanted expansion on a hinted aspect of Tarnished Gold. Too bad, I wrote cute kid fluff.


End file.
